Monday, November 19, 2007

As I've posted the past few days concerning The Traditional Anglican Communion converting en masse back to The Mother Church of their ancestors, I've also wanted to point out a rather earth-shaking bit of news out of Ravenna, Italy. Here's just a bit;

Vatican hails "step" to healing Orthodox riftBy Phil Stewart

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has praised an agreement between Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologians as a first step towards a possible healing of their millennium-long schism but said the road ahead was long and arduous.

The Vatican issued on Thursday a joint declaration agreed last month that said the Pope held the highest rank in the unified Church before the 1054 Great Schism -- a statement that could allow Catholics and Orthodox to work more closely. But the document made clear neither side yet agreed on what power came with that rank. The Orthodox in the old Byzantine Empire rejected the universal authority of the Roman Pontiff and gradually developed autonomous national churches with no papacy.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Vatican department promoting Christian unity, said the document gave Catholics hope but cautioned there was still a very long way to go before Catholics and Orthodox could speak of any kind of unity. "This document is a modest first step and as such one of hope. But we must not exaggerate its importance," he told Vatican radio late on Wednesday ahead of the document's release. "This will not be easy. The road is very long and difficult."

Personally, I foresee a slow "coming around" of the various Orthodox Churches. Remember, there are literally dozens of various branches of Orthodoxy... Russian, Syrian, Greek, Serbian, Ethiopian, Malabar, Coptic, etc. Also, let's not forget that The Holy Father recently referred to the various Orthodox, unlike the Protestantism, as "Sister Churches".

To get a little, you gotta give a little. The Holy Father has declared Orthodoxy as Sister Churches; the Orthodox recognize the Bishop of Rome as the highest ranking of all the Patriarchs. As Cardinal Kaspar said; "This will not be easy. The road is very long and difficult".

I predict inter-Communion within the next few short years, if not sooner. And I can think of no greater obstical to Eurabia than a united Christendom.

The Orthodox and indeed the Traditional Anglicans have always claimed to follow the 7 Ecumenical Councils. It was the Fathers of these same Councils that proclaimed The Bishop of Rome as the Patriarch of the Western Church! Why then should the Orthodox or Traditional Anglicans have any problem in accepting the title as far as the present pope is concerned? The real question is will it progress re-union when these people already accept this papal title?